Practice your ability to manage criticism construc-tively by creating a brief role play with a partner based on one of the scenarios below (or use any critical message you are likely to receive on the job. Enact the role play three times as follows:

a. The sender of the message uses judgmental lan- guage, and the receiver responds defensively.

b. The sender uses judgmental language. The receiver responds nondefensively,

c. The sender delivers the criticism as constructive feedback,

Scenario: At a meeting, you present a proposal that angers one of your coworkers. He attacks you verbally, claiming you dont have your facts right.